Special to the NEWS
Niche recently released its 2026 Best Schools — K-12 School & District Rankings, and for the 12th consecutive year, South Texas Independent School District (STISD) and its campuses ranked among the best in the state and nation, including Rising Scholars Academy in San Benito.
With an A+ overall grade, STISD ranked 2nd in Texas out of 876 school districts ranked and 59th in the nation out of 10,394 districts ranked in the Best School Districts rankings. STISD earned the top spot in the Districts with the Best Teachers in Texas category, and brought home the fourth spot for “Best Places to Teach in Texas.”
STISD also ranked 13th out of 11,038 districts in the “Districts with the Best Teachers in America” and 282nd out of 11,278 in the “Best Places to Teach in America.”
The district’s two middle schools and four high schools were also ranked among the best in the state and nation in the 2026 Niche K-12 Schools lists, which grade and rank schools and districts based upon criteria ranging from academics to culture and teachers.
STISD’s two middle schools earned spots in the “Best Public Middle School Teachers in Texas” and “Best Public Middle Schools in Texas” categories.
South Texas ISD Preparatory Academy (Preparatory Academy) in Edinburg ranked second among the Best Public Middle School Teachers in Texas (out of 2,030) and 14th among the Best Public Middle Schools in Texas (out of 2,272 schools).
South Texas ISD Rising Scholars Academy (Rising Scholars) in San Benito earned first place in the Best Public Middle School Teachers in Texas category and 33rd in the Best Public Middle Schools in Texas. Both campuses received an A+ overall Niche grade.
In the Best Public Middle School Teachers in America, Rising Scholars ranked 46th, and Preparatory Academy ranked 50th out of 22,701 schools. In the Best Public Middle Schools in America category, Preparatory Academy ranked 90th and Rising Scholars ranked 297th out of 25,606 schools ranked.
In the Best Public Middle Schools in their respective counties – Hidalgo and Cameron – both campuses also claimed the number one spot.
All four STISD high schools also ranked among the top in the state and nation in the 2026 Best Public High Schools lists again this year. The South Texas ISD Science Academy (Science Academy) in Mercedes ranked 11th in the state out of 1,833 and 133rd in the nation out of 20,162, earning an A+ overall grade. The campus ranked first among the Best Public High Schools in Hidalgo County.
South Texas ISD Health Professions (Health Professions) in Mercedes ranked 127th in the state and third in Hidalgo County, receiving an A.
South Texas ISD World Scholars (World Scholars) in Edinburg ranked 203rd in the state, 6th in Hidalgo County, and received an A. South Texas ISD Medical Professions (Medical Professions) in Olmito ranked 297th in the state, 3rd in Best Public High Schools in Cameron County, and received an A-.
Marco Antonio Lara, Jr., Ed.D., superintendent of schools for South Texas ISD, expressed his pride in this district’s achievement and appreciation for the STISD community, saying, “Maintaining our ranking among the top schools in the state and nation for 12 consecutive years is only possible because of the hard work and collaboration of everyone in our district community. This accomplishment reflects our continued commitment to putting students first in everything we do.”
These are only a few of the categories by which Niche ranked campuses and districts. The following are links to access the detailed lists of district and campus rankings: South Texas Independent School District: https://www.niche.com/k12/d/south-texas-independent-school-district-tx/rankings/ South Texas ISD Preparatory Academy: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-preparatory-academy-edinburg-tx/rankings/ South Texas ISD Rising Scholars Academy: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-rising-scholars-academy-san-benito-tx/rankings/ South Texas ISD Health Professions: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-health-professions-mercedes-tx/rankings/ South Texas ISD Medical Professions: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-medical-professions-olmito-tx/rankings/ South Texas ISD Science Academy: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-science-academy-mercedes-tx/rankings/ South Texas ISD World Scholars: https://www.niche.com/k12/south-texas-isd-world-scholars-edinburg-tx/rankings/
According to the company’s website, the 2026 Best School Districts ranking is based on a rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents, utilizing data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, teacher quality, public school district ratings, and more.
SAT/ACT scores have been removed from this year’s rankings to reflect a general de-emphasis on test scores in the college admissions process. Additional information on the methodology used for the grading and ranking is available on the Niche website here: https://k12.niche.com/rankings/methodology/.
South Texas ISD is a state-and nationally recognized public school district offering tuition-free college and career preparation to students in grades 6-12 from Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties.
The open-enrollment, all-magnet district consists of seven secondary campuses within the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. This includes four high schools: South Texas ISD Health Professions in Mercedes, South Texas ISD Medical Professions in Olmito, South Texas ISD Science Academy in Mercedes, and South Texas ISD World Scholars in Edinburg.
It also includes two middle schools: South Texas ISD Preparatory Academy in Edinburg and South Texas ISD Rising Scholars Academy in San Benito. Additionally, there is one virtual campus, South Texas ISD Virtual Academy, where students in grades 6-12 can learn entirely from home.
For additional information, call 1-800-21STUDY or visit www.stisd.net.
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